Fire and Emergency chief Kerry Gregory remains on leave a month after minister's no-confidence statement

Fire and Emergency chief executive Kerry Gregory remains on extended leave more than a month after Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said she had no confidence in him. RNZ reported that Van Velden made the statement on 17 September.

Van Velden has accused Gregory of withholding significant information from her for a year. She has described his conduct as a serious breach of trust. Van Velden told RNZ she had not changed her position of no confidence in him.

Fire and Emergency's board has continued discussions with Gregory while he is on leave. The organisation declined to say whether he is on paid or unpaid leave.

Darryl Purdy is acting as chief executive while Gregory is away. Megan Stiffler is serving as national commander.

Van Velden has also said she has concerns over the organisation's senior leadership, as well as her lack of confidence in Gregory. Scoop published her comments on the leadership concerns in early October.

Gregory was appointed chief executive in July 2022 for a three-year term. Fire and Emergency confirmed in November 2024 that he would serve a further two years, from 1 July 2025 until 30 June 2027.

The organisation gets most of its funding through a levy on insurance policies covering property and vehicles. Van Velden said Fire and Emergency had been breaching the law that governs how that levy is collected. The organisation has confirmed that a historical matter relating to the administration of its levy scheme was referred to the Serious Fraud Office, the government agency that investigates serious fraud.